World No.1 Shidong Advances In Doha With Dominant Win

Doha, Qatar: China's Lin Shidong made a strong statement as he advanced in style at the World Table Tennis Championships Finals Doha 2025, which continued in full swing yesterday.

The World No.1 faced little resistance in his opening match at the Lusail Sports Arena, cruising past England's Liam Pitchford with a dominant 4-0 (11-9, 12-10, 11-2, 11-9) win in the men's singles draw.

A title favourite, Shidong needed just over 32 minutes to dispatch the World No.54, showcasing his class and intent as he chases his maiden singles world title.

In his Round of 64 clash, the Chinese superstar will meet Hong Kong's Siu Hang Lam who fought back from a game down to dispatch Ankur Bhattacharjee 4-1 (4-11, 11-7, 11-9, 12-10, 11-8).

Qatar's Sultan Khalid Al Kuwari yesterday showcased a strong fight in his Round of 128 clash before falling 1-4 to Belgium's world No. 82 Martin Allegro (11-9, 6-11, 6-11, 1-11, 4-11) at Qatar University Hall, while wild-card Ahmed Korani was beaten 0-4 by Chinese Taipei's Kuo Guan-Hong (7-11, 7-11, 6-11, 4-11).

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On the women's side, Qatar's Maryam Ali bowed out 0-4 to Chile's Zhiying Zeng (2-11, 7-11, 1-11, 1-11), while Aia Mohamed managed to salvage a game before falling 1-4 to Cuba's Rosalba Aguiar (3-11, 7-11, 8-11, 11-7, 8-11).

France's underdog Charlotte Lutz made a stunning comeback to eliminate South Korea's highly ranked Lee Eunhye 4-2 (7-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8, 12-10, 11-8), winning four consecutive games in a highlight on the second day of the Championships.

Czech Hana Matelova also delivered a memorable performance, eliminating Egypt's 27th-seeded Dina Meshref in straight games (11-7, 11-3, 11-3, 11-7).

Japanese teenage sensation Miwa Harimoto, seeded No.5, lived up to expectations in her World Championships Finals debut, defeating Ukraine's Margaryta Pesotska 4-1. Miwa's brother Tomokazu, ranked fourth in the world, claimed a convincing 4-1 win over South Korea's Lim Jonghoon in a high profile Round 1 clash.

In one of the day's most gripping contests, Croatia's Hana Arapovic edged Kazakhstan's Zauresh Akasheva 4-3 (8-11, 11-7, 11-1, 6-11, 4-11, 11-9, 11-8) in a match that showcased the fighting spirit that defines championship table tennis.

In the women's doubles, Japan's top-seeded Women's Doubles pair Satsuki Odo and Sakura Yokoi also made a dominant start to their title-chase, defeating Ukrainian opponents Veronika Matiunina and Solomiya Brateyko 3-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-5).

Qatar's Abdulwahhab brothers, Mohammed and Abdullah, challenged Romania's Iulian Chirita and Eduard Ionescu before losing 1-3 (11-6, 8-11, 8-11, 8-11) in men's doubles.

In mixed doubles, Mohammed Abdulwahhab and Aia Mohamed fell 0-3 to Thailand's Thitaphat Preechayan and Kulapassr Vijitviriyagul (5-11, 6-11, 6-11), ending Qatar's run in the doubles contests.

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